Baby contests

So recently a new mom to be I kind of know sent me a link saying "vote for my baby" and it was this cutest baby contest on a parenting website.

Now really.. This is just taking the my baby is better than your baby thing a bit too far.

I mean there were contests for babies from 0 to 1 year from 1 to 2 years and from 2 onwards... Something just doesn't seem right. 

And that too from a parenting website... Dont they have some kind of social responsibility? Just to get more hits on their page they are encouraging parents to make such little kids compete against each other? And based on what? Not intelligence, general knowledge or talent but on their looks???? 

Really you want your little girl to have a warped perspective of how important her looks are over having knowledge? You want your son to be competitive for something that they haven't earned themselves? 

Why can't these websites arrange for quizzes and puzzles that kids have to solve to win prizes? 

Apart from that what about the feeling of defeat that you put your two year old through if they don't win? 

A two year old, hell even a one year old today is very sharp, they know when all the people around them are showering them with attention, calling them cute and adorable. Even at that young age they know and understand admiration,attention. 

So when they don't win a stupid contest that everyone in the house is talking about how do you think they are going to feel? 

Do you really want to help them cope with friends saying to them "acha you didn't win that contest for cute babies? You're not so cute then? Ha ha ha" because people say things like that children even more so actually. 

I don't know, maybe I'm a little conventional or old fashioned even but I don't think parading your kids in silly costumes and make up is good for their self esteem... 

Let them be kids... Competition is going to come their way sooner than you think... But you as a parent don't do that to them. Winning some silly contest online against some random stranger doesn't make your child special: he is already special and he is the cutest... 

Just let them be the li'l monkies that they are!

                                     

Daddy's (coming) back!!!

So Aadi is coming to Bombay today... He's going to be seeing Sid after almost a month....

Wow! 

To begin with I can't imagine being without Sid for that long (hell I don't survive like a few hours!!!) let alone imagining how exciting it must be for Aadi to finally see him!! 

When aadi and used to be apart for any reason we'd go nuts post two weeks... That's our limit... Post that we're dopey lovey dovey weepy people!!! 

But to be apart from your child... Who is literally a part of you.. That's got to be tough... It's hard on guys.. With their work schedules and " the man the provider duties" it's not easy for them.. As much as they would love to be with the kid 24/7 sometimes it just is impossible I guess..

Well I'm glad that despite this little thing of when i visit my mum and brother, neither Aadi nor I follow the typical woman nurtures man provides roles... We both look after Sid and we both work to give him a great life...   

So it's just as tough on him as it would be on me to be away from the munchkin.. Infact the first few days I wasn't even allowed to send pictures because his heart was breaking so much :( 

Well I can't wait to watch the reunion... Lets see who's eyes tear up most Aadi's mine or li'l Sid... After all he really really missed his daddy!!! 

My Fun One!!

Having a baby is super fun.... have I ever mentioned that?

Yes he is precious and yes he is my magical wonder and super special... but fun.... have I ever said that?

Because he is...

I always thought babies were funny ... their sense of zero co-ordination their funny sounds and how they scare themselves with their own sneeze!!

Well little sid is no different! He's a constant blast to be around... When he was just a newborn, small things like the way his eyes would get super big when he heard a loud sound... it used to crack Aadi and me up... or how he would stretch himself completely, like every single inch of his body he would stretch and for a tiny baby it was quite a sight!!

We also love his sleeping positions.... he always always does something funny with his hands.... he places one on his cheek, one on his heart... sometimes he has this thinker pose going on with his hand on his chin... but my favorite is his praying pose... where he clasps both his hands together and puts his head up... ohhhhhh so adorable!!!

And now his noises just make me laugh...!!! He's finally found his voice you see... and he fully lets us know of it!! If even for a little bit we don't give him attention he screams out loud and makes these really funny sounds!!! It's between a whine and a cry and suddenly he'll start laughing!!

But whats really funny is when he does something silly and we start laughing out loud the poor baby gets spooked... so he stares at us with his big eyes wondering if we're laughing at him or with him!!!! poor li'l monkey!!!

His new crazy thing that really gets me rolling on the floor is his sense of, well rather lack of co-ordination!!! When we give him a toy he desperately wants to eat it up.. but in the bargain ends up doing some pretty mad things!

So what he does is while I'm dangling it in front of his nose.... he stares at it with utmost concentration raises his little baby hands in the general direction of the toy but unfortunately he clasps his little fingers inches before... but his eyes are still locked on the toy and he slowly takes his finger to his mouth thinking the toy is in it!!!!!!!!

He ha ha ha ha!!!

And that's not it.... the days he manages to get the toy in his hands its a blast to watch him trying to get it into his mouth... it goes to his ears, up his nose.... knocks his forehead with it.... oh the poor li'l darling.....!!!! And sometimes he ends up leaving his toy on his head or at his neck!!!!

He doesn't just use his voice to shout he also laughs out loud....  so when you make funny faces at him he has this super cute laugh... it starts off with no sound but the full act of a laugh - the big toothless mouth wide open and he even throws his head back.... and then he'll start laughing in little spurts waiting for you to encourage him!!! its just sooooo adorable!!

So you get what I mean... fun... he's just so much fun.... at just four and a half months he's my first choice to hang with when I want to just laugh!!!

Photo studio 01

                My first hi five !!!

The world of semi solids...!!

Starting with semi solids is a big milestone in mommy world... it means your little one is growing up.... it also means longer meal times and messier babies!!!

I started Sid on semi solids when he turned four months, since I had stopped breastfeeding, his doctor recommended starting early.

Of course being the hawww mother that I am (!!!) the absolute first thing I made my baby boy taste was a little bit of the candies red velvet cupcake frosting!!!!! ha ha ha!!! yea yea I know you're not really supposed to but he loved it!!!

Then came the boring bananas and daal!!

I don't know if it's because I ate spicy salty food thru my pregnancy but the baby boy way prefers the daal and khichdis as opposed to the bananas and apples.

The first day was fun.... We got a little bowl and spoon, we mashed up the banana... and put him in his bouncer tied his little bib and got started... and then well.. lets just say the drama began..

At first he got extremely confused....I put some in his little mouth... he spat it out... I put it back he spat it again... this went on for way longer than i'd like to admit!!!

I am a person of very little patience... anyone who really knows me knows this about me!!

So I'm guessing this little boy is here to build that in me... Patience!!

Because that process of my feeding him and him spitting really went on and on!!! Towards the end (that's like twenty minutes and half a teaspoon later) he started frowning.... he was just not enjoying this...

Finally he gave up and howled!!!!

Luckily I already had his formula ready and waiting for him and he happily gulped it down!!!

But the week later when we gave him daal, he quite enjoyed it.... he liked the taste, the ghee and the dot of salt i'm guessing...because even on the first sitting he had quite a bit...!!

In fact now when we give him khichdi he actually comes forward for the spoon if I take time to get it to him!!!! 

Yes he's messy and yes his meal times go on for ever.... but hes just so cute when he's chomping on the spoon!!!

Getting poked!!

I have alway always hated injections... Since I was a kid I would cry at the thought of having to get my blood tests done... 

Even when I met Aadi and he would accompany me for blood tests he would not only have to hold my hand and be completely embarrassed being the only one with a weepy adult amongst all the other kids who are at the clinic... But as a rule he had to (still has to) get me a chocolate post the injection!!! 

Well as they say whatever u resist will persist and all thru my nine months of pregnancy I had to take an injection every single day... 

So apparently my blood has a tendency to clot and my doc was worried that a clot could form near the uterus thus cutting off food supply to the baby... So I had to take blood thinning injections.. Yup every single day :( 

No I didn't get a chocolate a day..!!!! And no I haven't gotten used to injections now... Right till the last day I was upset about it!!! 

How ever whatever I go thru when I have to get a poke is nothing close to what I go thru now when I have to take little Sid for his vaccinations! 

The first one I missed because it was on his day two and I was still in bed.. But the next one when he got two pokes I had taken him to his doc...

Oh god I don't know who cried more him or me!!!! Of course I had to control my tears or his doc ( who is a sweetheart by the way) would think I'm such a sissy mother!!!!!!! Ha ha! 

But my baby .. Oh he howled and howled ... All I could do was to hold him close and sing to him.. 

Since then we've taken three more injections and each time I've had to hold my breath and clench my teeth to I don't cry as well.. 

Seeing him get poked is really a heartbreaking sight... But does that mean I can now take injections myself without crying? 

No way!!!! 

Also I really hope he goes on his dad and is a strong boy rather than a weepy little thing like his mommy!!! 

The best compliment!

I think one thing you most appreciate when you have a baby is your mum!!! 

Every time you wash off the potty and heat his milk for the fifth time... Every time you wake up in the middle of the night!!!! 

She did it all for you... And well even today makes you yummy food when you want... And she listens to your raving and rantings!!! 

Every time I look at my little munchkin I think : will we be friends one day like my mum and me? Will we chat about everything everyday? Will he help me keeping up with technology like I do my mum? Will he come with me for movies and take me for concerts? 

On my part I do the best I can to be as good a mum to him as mine was to me... I love him insanely and look after him with a lot of care.. I don't molly coddle him.. If he is throwing a tantrum I let him be like she lets me be!!! And as he grows ill bring him up the way my mum brought me up.. She taught me not to judge not to treat people as they treat you if they treat you bad... To keep an open mind... To be spiritual not religious and even then to choose your own path... To read lots and lots and to stay connected to knowledge on every sphere... To be loyal and friendly ... 

So if I am to him what she was to me... Hopefully I will raise a good kid...!! 

But what makes me confident of that is... One day traveling back from Pune.. I was holding on to a slightly cranky baby and trying to keep him calm by talking to him about all sorts of silly stuff... Which seemed to work and out of the blue she said 

"you're a good mom" 

That was and always will be the best compliment I could ever get... And that will always make me feel like I can be a good mom!!!